Novelty footwear



D. B. BASS NvELTY FOOTWEAR l. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

ATTORNEYS D. .B. BASS NOVELTY FOOTWEAR Dec. 24, 1940.

l, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.

IN VENTOR.

BY flee fill/715707@ 80615' ATTORNEYS Patenied Dec. 24, 1940 UNITEDSTATES NOVELTY FOOTVJ EAR Dee Burston Bass, Bronx, N. Y., assignor toHeirloom Needlework Guild, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application February 1, 1939, Serial No. %3,976

3 Claims.

f'his invention relates to novelty footwear and has particular referenceto ladies' boudoir slippers such as scuifs, mules and the like whichinclude an upper having an inner ply secured to the sole, a relativelyseparable ornamental outer ply and an inwardly directed edge portionsecured to the inner ply and overlying the same to form a recesstherewith in which recess the 0 edge portions of the outer ply areadapted to be 20 same, then separated therefrom for the application ofornamentation thereto and thereafter inserted in position in the upper.

The invention further comprehends an article of footwear of theindicated character in which the outer ply is constructed of an open'mesh fabric and is relatively separable from the upper for applyingneedle work ornamentation thereto and when completed the outer ply isretained in position by disposing its edges beneath the inwardlydirected overlying edge portions of the upper.

The invention is further directed to novelty footwear of the indicatedcharacter which are to be sold in partially completed condition andwhich are so constructed and arranged as to permit of the separation ofthe outer ply of the upper from the inner ply thereof to facilitate'completion of the same by hand needlework, such as petit-point,needle-point or embroidery stitches extending through the outer ply andwhen so completed the replacement of said plies in superimposedassembled relation with each other.

With these and other objects in View, the invention is set forth ingreater detail in the following specication and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a lady's slipper constructed in accordancewith the invention and illustrating the outer ply of the upper which isadapted to be ornamented in its assembled superimposed relation to theinner ply.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken approxinately onthe line 2-2 of' Fig. 1.

ied form of the invention illustrating a slipper i with a separableinsert adapted to receive ornamentaton separated from the upper tofacilitate the application of ornamentation thereto.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 4, iilustrating the insert in assembled relationwith the slipper.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a further modication illustrating theupper ply portions which are adapted to be ornamented in separatedrelation to the inner ply of the upper.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the ornamented upper ply inassembled superimposed covering relation to the inner ply of the upper.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken approximately onthe line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged ragmentary longitudinal sectional view takenapproximately on the line 9-9 of Fig. '7.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference and moreparticularly to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and3 of the drawings, the slipper or scuff includes a sole n and an upperincluding inner and outer plies ll and !2 which are secured togetheralong their marginal side edges and attached to the sole n in anysuitable manner, such as by binding strips !3. The outer ply !2preferably is constructed of open mesh fabric to serve as a foundationmaterial for the application thereto of ornamentation, such asneedle-point and embroidery stitches and which may be stamped or printedwith a design pattern as a guide for facilitating the application of theo'namentation thereto.

In order to facilitate the application of the ornamentation to the outerply IZ, the same is unsecured with reference to the inner ply exceptingat the side edges thereof so that the plies H and !2 may be relativelyseparated or spaced apart as illustrated in Fig. 3. After theornamentation has been applied thereto, the plies are re-arranged withthe outer ply in superimposed covering relation with the inner ply andthis relation is maintained by means of rim portions or strips !4carried by the unsecured marginal or free edges of the inner ply andextend inwardlyytherefrom into overlying relationship with the inner plyso as to define a marginal recess or channel !5 therewith into whichchannel the free margina edge portions of the outer ply |2 are tucked orinserted for retaining the outer.

ply in superimposed covering relation with the inner ply.

In order to normally hold the rim portions or strips [4 in overlyingrelationship with the inner ply ll, the opposite ends thereof areSecured together with the plies to the sole of the shoe by the bindingstrips l3. While the rim portions or strips |4 inherently assume theoverlying relationship to the inner ply of the upper, they are capableof being exed to an opened position for facilitating the insertion ofthe edge portions of the outer ply !2 within the recesses or Channels!5.

In the modified form of the invention il1ustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 ofthe drawings, the inner ply 20 of the upper together with a continuousrim portion 2l, are secured to each other throughout their outerma'ginal edges and the lower marginal edge portions are attached to thesole 22 from adjacent the shank and around the forepart leaving theinner continuous marginal edge 23 of the rim portion 2l free from theinner ply 20 to provide a continuous marginal recess or channel 24. Inthis form, the outer ply 25 is in the form of an insert which isconstructed of an open mesh fabric to serve as a foundation for theornamentation and which outer ply or insert 25, after being ornamented,is associated With the inner ply 213 by positioning the marginal edgeportionsbetween the inner ply 20 and the rim 2! so that the outer ply orinsert is retained within the recess 24 and disposed in superimposedcovering relation to the inner ply 20. Under this Construction andarrangement, a plurality of outer plies or inserts 25 bearing difierentornamentation may be interchangeably associated with the slipper.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, ofthe drawings, the inner ply of the upper includes oppositely disposedmating sections 30 and 3! secured together by stitching 32 or othersecuring means along their confronting inner edges, the outer plylikewise consisting of similarly fashioned oppositely disposed matingsections 33 and 34 which are secured along their side edges to the sideedges of the sections of the inner ply and to and between the outer andinner soles 35 and 35 of the slipper.

The sections 33 and 34 of the outer ply are unsecured with reference tothe inner ply and the sole of the slipper excepting along the side edgesthereof as hereinbefore described, so as to permit of relativeseparation of the said sections as illustrated in Fig. 6 to facilitatethe application of ornamentation thereto. The sections of the outer plyare preferably fashioned from open mesh fabric for receiving ornamentalneedlework covering the upper surface thereof as illustrated in Fig. 7and when thus ornamented the confronting inner edges of the sections aresecured together by stitching 3'l and the free edge portions of theouter ply are inserted under the inwardly directed rim portions 38 whichare secured to the free upper edges of the inner ply and extend inwardlytherefrom to provide a recess therewith. The free edges of the sections33 and 34 forming the outer ply thus being retained in the said recess,secure the outer ply in superimposed covering relation with the innerply.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a novelty footwear isproduced which may be ornamented as desired by the purchaser and whichis so constructed that the outer ply may be relatively separated fromthe remainder of the upper so as to facilitate the application of theornamentation thereto and when ornamented the upper ply may be readilyinserted and retained in superimposed covering relation with the innerply.

What is claimed is:

1. In an article of footwear having a sole and an upper, said upperincluding an inner ply secured to the sole, an inwardly directed rimmember secured to the inner ply along an edge of said rim and extendinginto overlying relationship with said inner ply and said rim being freefrom securement to said inner ply along its other edge to definetogether with said inner ply an open recess, and an outer ply of meshfabric adapted for needlework ornamentation and disposed in coveringrelation to the inner play with an edge portion extending into saidrecess, said outer ply being relatively separable from the inner ply forproviding a working space between said plies by means of which saidneedlework may be applied to the outer ply for ornamenting the same,said outer ply when ornamented, being adapted to be redisposed incovering relation with the inner ply and to have its edge portionpositioned in said recess for retaining the same in said coveringrelation with the inner ply.

2. In an article of footwear having a sole and an upper, said upperincluding an inner ply secured to the sole, an inwardly directed rimmember secured to the inner ply along an edge of said rim and extendinginto overlying relationship with said inner ply and said rim being freefrom securement to said inner ply along its other edge to definetogether with said inner ply an open recess, and an outer ply offlexible mesh fabric adapted for needlework ornamentation and secured atits opposite side edges to the sole and disposed intermediate its sideedges in covering relation to the inner ply with an edge portionextending into said recess, said outer ply being relatively separablefrom the inner ply by withdrawing said edge` portion from the saidrecess and by depressing the inner ply so that a working space isprovided between said plies for the application of said ornamentalneedlework to the outer ply and said outer ply when ornamented beingadapted to be redisposed in covering relation with the inner ply and tohave its edge portion positioned in said recess for retaining the samein said covering relation with the inner ply.

3. In an article of footwear having a sole and an upper, said upperincluding an inner ply secured to the sole, an inwardly directed rimmember secured to the inner ply along an edge thereof and extending intooverlying relationship with said inner ply to define together therewitha recess, and an outer ply including mating sections each secured at oneedge to the sole and being free at the other edge and being adapted tohave the adjacent free edges thereof secured together and disposed incovering relation to the inner ply with an edge portion of said outerply extending into said recess and said sections being relatively.separable from the inner ply so that a working space is provided betweensaid ply sections during the application of ornamental needleworkthereto and said outer ply after being ornamented and after having theadjacent free edges of the sections secured together being adapted to beredisposed in covering relation to the inner ply and to have the edgeportion positioned in said recess for retaining the same in coveringrelation with the inner ply.

DEE BURSTON VBASS.

